Impulse liquid agitator



May 12, 1953' o. M. PAXTON IMPULSE LIQUID AGITATOR Filed March 3, 1950 INVIVTOR ATTORNEY er g kw fi Patented May 12, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT; OFFICE 2,638,381 7 v IMPULSE LIQUID AGITATOR Dewey M. Paxton, Phoenix, Ariz.

Application March a, 1950, Serial No. 147,538 (01. 299-25) V 4 Claims.

This device has for its object the provision of an air impulse liquid agitator which will cause a stream of water to be broken up by air under pressure so that the water will issue from a nozzle in the form of fine droplets which are directed outward with great force and may be caused to impinge against surfaces to be cleaned with considerable force and with intermittent striking pulses, so as to clean surfaces more thoroughly than would otherwise be possible. Another object is to provide a mixing chamber ina hose line which can be used to mix water flowing from said hose with compressed air to break the water fiow up into a rapidly ejected series of pulses, which will effectively loosen scale and dirt in such articles as automobile radiators or the like;

Another object is to provide a jet nozzle for cleaning surfaces by directing a vibrating column of water and air forcefully against them in rapid pulses.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

, I attain the foregoing objects by means of the device, structure and combination of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawing in which- Figure 1 is a vertical section of the body of the device;

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the vibrating core tube;

Figure 3, a plan view of the device, as shown in use.

Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the several views.

The body 2 of the device is made of metal, or'

the like, and has the general shape of a frustrum of a hollow cone. As shown in Figure l the cone is inverted and in the base 3 there is fitted, first a water inlet 4, second, an air inlet andvalve 5, and third, a vibrating and mixing element 6.

The water and air inlet fittings are substantially conventional, but the mixing element 3 must be specially and particularly made. This part is included in a cylinder 8 which is pressed into a hole drilled in the center of base 3 and extends into the chamber I within body 2 slightly more than half its height. There is an adequate space between the outside of cylinder 8 and the inner walls of chamber II] to permit water to flow from water inlet 4 out through nozzle I2.

Within cylinder 8 there is mechanism which will cause air entering through inlet 5 to produce a violent agitation in the water flowing through body 2 from inlet 4, to the nozzle outlet I2. This outlet is formed by drilling the tip of-conical- 2 body 2 axially into chamber III. The opening thus formed may then be threaded to receive hoses or any other attachments, as desired.

The lower or inner portion of cylinder 8 is bored out to form what may be called a vibrating chamber I4. Above this is a smaller axial bore I6 which connects to a radially drilled air inlet hole I8 near thetop of the cylinder. A smaller axial hole I9 receives an adjusting screw 20 with ample clearance, and an outer valve seat 28 is then formed at the outer end of cylinder 8. The bottom face 21 formed as a shoulder at the inner end of chamber I4 constitutes an inner valve seat for inner valve plug 23. This plug is preferably made of rubber and is resiliently maintained in position by spring 24. The upper end of this spring is attached to the inner end of screw 20. Avknurled nut 25 threaded on the outer portion of this screw bears on an outwardly opening valve plug 29. This plug closes onseat 28. A cross pin 3| is attached to the top of screw 20 to hold it when nut 25 is operated.

- It is to be noted that the annular inner shoulder 2| that forms the inner valve seat for inner valve plug 23 covers an opening I6 which is of greater area than the open area of hole I9, closed by outer valve plug 29., This valve plug screws tightly on screw 20 and its lower surface contacts and seats on the seat 28. Both valve plugs are drawn onto their respective seats with the same force by spring 24, but due to the greater area closed by inner valveplug 23, it opens first and permits air from air inlet 5 to enter chamber I0 before the outer valve plug 29 unseats and permits air to escape into the atmosphere.

Valve plug 23, opening into chamber I0 through vibratory chamber I4, and being resiliently closed, sets up a rapid vibration when compressed air is introduced through :air inlet 5. This is particularly true since the outer valve acts as'a buffer, and since chamber I4 seems to have an inherent resonance. To enhance this effect a coil of wire 33 ispressed into chamber I4. The convolutionsof this coil afford inner grooves that react with the released air, and the inner faces of the turns contact the edges of valveplug 23 as it vibrates and oscillates from side to side within chamber I4, and act, as guides, which tend to keep it in position to properly seat.

Vibratory, action of valve plug 23 may be explained as follows: Before air enters opening I6 the upper face of valve plug 23 isheld against the valve seat formed byface 2| of bore I4 in cylinder 8 by the urge of spring] 24, Th upper face of the plug therefore closes opening I6. When air under pressure enters passageway I6 its first action is to push valve plug 23 away from face 2|, but as air flows outward between this face and the upper face of plug 23 its tendency to push the plug away from face 2| diminishes according to the principles of Bernoullis Theorem as applied to gases. The valve plug is held away from face 2| by air pressure and flow and held toward it by the urge of spring 24 and air pressure which builds up in chamber I4. Its position is unstableand it tends to flutter. Any slight motion of cylinder 8 will cause fluttering. As the air flows between surface or face 2| and the plug 23 it strikes the annular side walls of chamber l4 and then moves downward and outward. If these walls are suificiently constricted, as by coiled wire 33, pressure builds u on the lower face of plug 23, sufficient .to unbalance the downward extended position of plug 23 and cause it to move upward toward face 2|. The upward trending forces, including urge of spring 24, and the pressure in chamber M are sufiicient to momentarily overcome the downward trending force of the air flowing downward through opening 16 and the upper .face of plug 23 momentarily seats on face 2-4. When it does this the upward urge due to the Bernoulli effect ceases. and the downward urge due to air flow again pushes the plug 23 downward. The cycle of operation of these oppositely acting forces repeats itself rapidly and sets up a powerful vibration .in the air stream entering mixing chamber Ill from the bottom of chamber M. The plug '23 suspended as above described, closing on and surrounded by constricted resonant "chamber i4 may beiherein termed a vibrating element.

In use fitting 4 is connected by means of hose 30 to a source of water under pressure and fitting and valve :5 is connected to a source of compressed air. The new of both of these is regulated to make the proper mixture as they issue from the nozzle outlet 12. Then the thumb nut 25 is adjusted so that the tension on spring .24 is sufilcient to'hold valveplug 23 resiliently against the annular face of the mixing chamber. The action of the compressed air then is to intermittently enter and retract from mixing chamber 14. At a certain adjustment or the spring, which depends upon the amount of air and water now, the waterwill be brokenup into fine droplets and these in turn will be ejected'from the nozzle'with great force and will strike any object against which they are directed with sufficient energy to clean and dislodge any dirt, gum or any other substances that are then washed ofi veryquickly. The water may contain detergents or other cleaning compounds and the-device thus used to wash and scour automobiles, walls or floors in a very eiiectivemanner. A hose fitting 35 may be added to the nozzle to afford an extension, if desired.

The outside of body 1 may be provided with a tape screw thread 35. This can then be used to screw into automobile radiator hoses. Water and air can then be introduced as above described. The vibratory action will loosen and dislod e scale and rust and clean the radiator in a very effective manner. In this use, outer valve 29 acts as a safety valve to keep excess pressure from accumulating in the radiator.

The device may also be used to advantage in flushing out motor blocks. In this case a hose similar to that shown in Figure 4 may be used and fitted into the bottom of the mixer body 2, it may then be connected to any desired opening in the motor block casting and secured with whatever fitting is most advantageous. Plain water or water containing solvent adapted to loosen, dissolve, or remove rust and scale is then introduced through body 2 as above described. The vibrating motion given to the flow into the block aids in loosening the scale and rust in a very effective manner.

Otherwise the devicev has many other uses, wherein air and Water mixtures, or other solvent fluids can be used to advantage, as above mentioned.

Having described this device and explained its use, I wish to be limited only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. An air impulse liquid flow agitator, com prising in combination, a conical shaped body, enclosing a mixing chamber having an outlet opening at its tip, and a flat closure at its larger end, a liquid inlet near the side of said fiat closure opening into the larger end of said chamber, and air inlet, including a valve, oppositely disposed thereon, an air vibrating element consisting of a cylinder centrally disposed in said and closure with one end opening outward of said chamber and the other and extending into said chamber; said cylinder having a central bore connected to said air inlet, and a valve seat at its inwardly opening end; a valve plug closing on said valve seat at the inner end of said cylinder, spring means for resiliently maintaining said valve on said seat, and a screw and nut extending out from the flat closure of said body adapted to adjust the tension of said spring.

2. An air impulse liquid flow agitator, comprising in combination, a conical shaped body, enclosing a mixing chamber having an outlet opening at its tip, and a flat closure at its larger end, a liquid inlet near the side of said flat closure opening into the larger end of said chamber, and air inlet, including a valve, oppositely disposed thereon, an air vibrating element consisting of a cylinder centrally disposed in said end closure with one end opening outward of said chamber and the other end extending into said chamber; said cylinder having an axial bore connected to said air inlet, and having a valve seat at its outwardly opening end, and a valve seat of greater diameter at its inwardly opening end; an inner valve plug closing the seat at its inwardly opening end, and an outer valve plugclosing the seat on its outwardly opening end, a spring drawing said inner valve plug on its said seat, an adjusting screw attached to said spring at its outer end and passing outward through said outer valve plug, and an adjusting nut on the outer end of said screw bearing inward on said outer valve plug; said valve and valve seat at the inwardly opening end of said cylinder closing and surrounding, respectively, an opening in said axial bore of greater area than the opening surrounding and closed. by said outer valve seat and valve.

3. An air impulse liquid flow agitator comprising, in combination, a conically shaped hollow body having a flat closure at its larger end, an included mixing chamber, a threaded opening at its tip, a liquid inlet to said mixing chamber at one end of said flat closure, and an air inlet oppositely disposed on said fiat closure; an air vibrating element consisting of a cylinder, centrally disposed in said flat closure and extending axially into said mixing chamber, having an axial bore at its lower end forming a vibration chamber; a smaller axial bore extending outward from said vibration chamber connected with a radially extending hole to said air inlet, a still smaller axial hole extending outward from said smaller bore thru the outer end portion of said cylinder to its outer end, an inner valve seat formed at the top end of said vibration chamber, surrounding said smaller bore, and an outer valve seat formed on the outer end of said cylinder surrounding the axial hole therein; a valve plug, constituting a vibrating element, operating on said inner valve seat; mechanism for adjustably maintaining said valve plug resiliently on said seat, including a spring extending axially in said smaller bore having its inner end attached to said valve plug, a threaded adjusting screw having its inner end attached to the outer end of said spring and extending outward through the axial hole in the outer portion of said cylinder, with a loose fit therein and an adjusting nut on the outer portion of said screw.

4-. An air impulse liquid flow agitator comprising, in combination, a conically shaped hollow body having a fiat closure at its larger end, an included mixing chamber, a threaded opening at its tip, a liquid inlet to said mixing chamher at one side of said flat closure, and an air inlet oppositely disposed on said flat closure; an air vibrating element consisting of a cylinder, centrally disposed in said flat closure and extending axially into said mixing chamber, having an axial here at its lower end forming a vibration chamber opening toward said body opening, a smaller axial bore extending outward from said vibrating chamber opening into a radially extending hole connected to said air inlet, a still smaller axial hole extending outward from said smaller bore thru the outer portion of said cylinder to its outer end, an inner valve seat formed at the top end of said vibration chamber surrounding said smaller bore, and an outer valve seat formed on the outer end of said cylinder surrounding the axial hole therein; a valve plug, constituting a vibrating element, on the valve seat in said vibration chamber; means for adjustably maintaining said valve plug on said seat including a spring extending axially in said smaller bore having its inner end attached to said valve plug, a threaded adjusting screw having its inner end attached to the outer end of said spring and extending outward thru the axial hole in the outer portion of said cylinder, and an adjusting nut threaded onto the outer portion of said screw, bearing on an outer valve plug seating on the outer valve seat on said cylinder; said outer valve plug and seat constituting a safety valve for release of undesired pressures from said mixing chamber.

DEWEY M. PAXTON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,855,457 Murray Apr. 26, 1932 1,862,583 Skriba Jun 14, 1932 1,876,355 Smith Sept. 6, 1932 1,882,215 Ewald Oct. 11, 1932 1,893, r57 Tartrais Jan. 3, 1933 1,939,836 Tolfree Dec. 19, 1933 2,172,556 Edwards Sept. 12, 1939 2,222,516 Powell Nov. 19, 1940 

